Angelica Hale Sings “Symphony” On “America’s Got Talent” Finals

At 10 years old, Hale is the youngest contestant left in season 12 of the NBC talent competition. While she was a standout since her audition, she took a leap forward in the Judge Cuts round, when Chris Hardwick pushed his Golden Buzzer for her. That guaranteed Hale a slot in the Quarterfinals, and she continued to slay it in the semifinals as well. As Gossip Cop reported just last week, Hale sang “Without You” to close out the episode, and received a standing ovation from all of the judges. Heidi Klum even admitted the young performer is her “personal favorite.”

Notably, up until last week, Hale arguably had a rival in 9-year-old Celine Tam. Both were young aspiring stars who had incredibly strong pipes, and Tam, too, won a Golden Buzzer, thanks to guest judge Laverne Cox. And while Hale was the last to perform on last Tuesday’s semifinal, Tam was the first. Unlike Hale, though, she received some mixed feedback from the judges, and the following night, it was revealed she didn’t receive enough votes to go on to the final round.

But while that’s one less singer Hale has to compete against tonight, there are several other music acts among the finalists. Before her last performance, in her pre-taped opening, Hale wrote a letter to her newborn baby sister, writing, “One of the most magical experiences is my time on ‘America’s Got Talent.'” She added, “I wish you were old enough to share this time with me.” Then, as the first contestant on this big night, Hale sang “Symphony.” All of the judges once again were on their feet.

“Oh my gosh,” Klum exclaimed. “I mean, you’re only four feet tall, but you are a giant! You really are. You’re unbelievable… And for me, I think you are the best singer we have in the competition.” Howie Mandel declared, “What a way to open this show! This is the finale, and that was a finale!” He also suggested she may win the $1 million prize. Mel B then noted, “You just look so comfortable and confident. There was not one ounce of nervousness… That was just amazing. Absolutely amazing.”

Simon Cowell admitted, “I’m actually gobsmacked, because you really are in it to win it, aren’t you?” He called Hale “relevant and cool,” and compared her start to that of Britney Spears, Christina Aguilera and Justin Timberlake. “We may be sooner rather than later looking back on this performance to say this is the moment your career started. You have my absolute respect,” Cowell told her. Watch the video below!